We attended from 2009-2013. It is a cluster. Make appointments early. Know what you are trying to accomplish.

This.

We send a couple staff members every year. A couple years ago when we had an opening for another economic development professional we hired somebody with a background in retail real estate and when she began going to ICSC for us, there was a noticeable difference in terms of leads generated than in years past when it was just our traditional economic development staff going who normally work with industrial or commercial projects. She went in to the conference with a full slate of appointments already made and we had put together some rather slick marketing materials for the specific sites we were trying to push. I think going in with a real game plan made a huge difference (we knew which sites we were pushing and had specific uses, tenants, and developers already in mind for each of them).

^^ This. ReCon is attended by the heavy hitters, and the same people who do commercial development are the ones doing industrial and mixed use. I would never advise anybody to get a booth. The people you want to see are going to be in meetings, and when they do have time to roam the floor the community corridor is their last priority. Instead, as has been said, identify your targets ahead of time and set appointments a couple months in advance. Talking to developers is as important, and maybe more important than talking to retailers.

Meetings are key and circulating around, being aggressive in the cold approach is key as well.
I came armed with a number of appointments and had some great meetings. My biggest take away is putting the city's face out there and making the initial contact. We already have a ton of retail, so my plan was very strategic. I found it to be a cluster... but well worth it. Coming armed with knoweldge of retail site selection practices is key as well, enables you to not waste someone's time in a ten minute meeting.

At first, I did not see the virtue in having a booth, but towards the end I did see some benefit. If anything, it provided a forum for our existing developers, maybe of whom from Seattle, Portland, and California, to stop by and visit us and discuss current and long-term projects. However, one big benefit of the booth was having "ambassadors" staff the booth, while I (and other Eco Devo personnel from the group) got to go to meetings.

I will be back next year, budget permitting.

You get all squeezed up inside/Like the days were carved in stone/You get all wired up inside/And it's bad to be alone

You can go out, you can take a ride/And when you get out on your own/You get all smoothed out inside/And it's good to be alone
-Peart